About this website

Creating a website like this is a fun activity. There are so many options, so many choices. What do visitors want? What do I want? In this blog I will describe some of the things I encounter in developing and maintaining this website.

Quick tip – Check for records in the nearest bigger town

Many people who lived in villages created records in the bigger towns in the area. They may have worked in the bigger town, and created employment records. They may have gone to a notary in the bigger town to have a will or prenuptial agreement drawn up. They may have had business with someone in the bigger town, which could have created transport records or contracts, found in the court or notarial records. The court in the bigger town may have had the higher jurisdiction, and may be where … [Read more...]

Dutch Genealogy News for March 2022

This is an overview of the new sources, websites, and projects that were announced last month. Sources Records of 66,000 members of the Dutch merchant navy have been added to Oorlogsbronnen, a portal for sources related to World War II. Several new transcriptions of Limburg church records have been added to GenBronnen. A transcription of the Dutch Reformed baptisms of Alblasserdam (1610-1811) is now available via Geneaknowhow. The National Archives launched new online … [Read more...]

Farm Names Case Study in NGSQ

My article "Four Farms, Four Names, The Identity and Parentage of Dirk Weversborg of the Netherlands" has just been published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. I am so proud to have my article published in this leading journal in our field. This case study is special to me. It is the first complex evidence case study I ever solved, when I was 16, proving the parents of my generation 9 ancestor Dirk Weversborg. He appears in records under three different farm names, and his … [Read more...]

Extreme Ancestors – Jan de Witte, age 105 (or not?)

I thought it would be fun to do a series of blog post about the extremes in my tree. The oldest person, the youngest parent, the most spouses, the most children, the one who moved the farthest away; you get the idea. In this first article, I present you Jan de Witte, who died in Cadzand in 1754 at the reported age of 105 years and eight months. 1748 census The earliest record I found that indicated Jan's age was the 1748 census of Cadzand, which included the following household: Jan de … [Read more...]

History For Ukraine Event

This weekend, there will be a 24-hour live event History for Ukraine. Speakers from all over the world will give short presentations about history and genealogy. The proceeds will to the British Red Cross Society’s DEC Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal. Admission is free, so you can pay what you think it is worth and give a Donation via JustGiving. Check out the History for Ukraine for details about the line-up and schedule, and for the link to the YouTube channel for the live event. … [Read more...]

Quick Tip – Podcast episode about New Netherland and Slavery

Andrea Mosterman features in episode 324 of the podcast Ben Franklin's World. The episode is called "New Netherland and Slavery." She discusses how the colony of New Netherland took shape, and the ways how the West India Company and private persons used enslaved labor to develop the colony. … [Read more...]

What file format should I use to preserve family photos?

PNG. GIF. TIFF. PDF. JPG. When it comes to choosing a file format for images, the possibilities are endless. Like many genealogists, I am scanning my family photos. I have several reasons for doing so: I want to create a backup in case there is a fire or flood and I lose the originals I want to use the scans in my family tree, on my blog, and other publications. I want to share the scans with other family members. We may only have one copy of the original, but we can easily create … [Read more...]

Quick tip – Book about the Dutch violence in Indonesia, 1945-1949

A new study sheds more light on the extreme violence by the Dutch army in the Indonesian war of independence after World War II. The book is available as open access. Beyond the Pale: Dutch Extreme Violence in the Indonesian War of Independence, 1945-1949   … [Read more...]

Dutch Genealogy News for February 2022

Here is an overview of the new sources, websites, and news from archives announced last month. Sources Several archives are making progress with the national project to digitize notarial records: Scans of notarial records of Maastricht and Roermond (1896-1905) are now available at Archieven.nl. Scans of notarial archives of Appingedam (1812-1922) are available at Groninger Archieven. Scans of notarial records of Jutphaas (1694-1842) are now available at Utrechts Archief. … [Read more...]

Dutch talks at RootsTech (3-5 March 2022)

RootsTech, the largest genealogy conference in the world, is virtual again this year. From 3-5 March, speakers from all over the world will share their expertise and inspiring stories. Free registration is required. There are several presentations that focus on genealogy in the Netherlands: Researching Records in the Netherlands Discovering Online Dutch archives Searching for Family in Amsterdam … [Read more...]